The Slenderman
by nmgh101
Summary: It stalks me. It hides in the shadows and STALKS me. I don't know what to do. If I tell somepony they'll think i'm insane. If I don't i'm probably going to end up like my sister. Disappeared without a trace.
1. Chapter 1

The old swing set creaked and moaned as I swung back and forth, going up and down. How could such a familiar thing from my childhood hold so much sorrow? It was one of the few things left that could remind me of Lily, my little sister. Tears slowly crawl down my cheeks, falling to the ground. I wipe them away on my blue fur.

_"Hey Sapphy!" my sister called from the swing, using the nickname she had made up for me.  
"Yeah Lily?" I call back, setting our lunch on a picnic table.  
"Look, I made a new trick!" She swings harder and harder on the old swing, going higher up than she ever has before,"One, two, THREE!" Lily jumps from the seat, flying through the air. She lands on the ground and rolls.  
"Good job!" I call, running over. She's covered in dirt and mud, laughing. "Oh Lily you're such a mess!" I say, laughing with her. I wipe the dirt out of her blond mane and brown fur._

The memory is painful yet happy at the same time. It has to have been at least an entire year since we had gone on that picnic. Two weeks ago Lily disappeared. Gone, without a trace. We think she may have got lost in the woods near here, maybe wandered off when no pony was looking. Search teams had been send out a day after she was gone, but they returned empty handed. It was like she disappeared off the face of the planet. Hope is dwindling. We think she's dead. I jump off the swing and landed on my hooves, before walking towards the table to get my camera. One of the last things that make me happy, the camera. I love taking pictures, and I hope that I can be a photographer. I grab it and start walking back to the house.

"Mom, i'm home!" I call, opening the door to the two story home.  
I check her room and see she's asleep. It seems like she spends all her time there, laying in her blanket, mourning, crying. We don't have a dad, he left when Lily was born. Losing one of her children was eating her inside out, and I was thinking she needed a psychologist. When I check the cupboards I noticed that we're out of food. Taking a saddlebag, a camera, and some bits, I set off to get the groceries. _This used to be mom's job._ I think to myself, heading out the door. Having Lily disappear like that reversed roles. I am caring for my mother.

"Thanks Flash!" I say, smiling as the brown colt hands me the folder. I had figured that if I was buying groceries then I might as well stop by the ink store.  
"No problem," he says, replying, "Sorry about you sister."  
"It sucks, but life must go on." I say. He nods, before leaving to help other ponies. I had known Flash for two years, ever since I came to the ink shop to get my photos printed. He always told me I was his favorite customer. I open the folder, checking out the pictures. I had taken four photos of the forest so I could sell them and get a few bits. The fifth one was one I took of myself at the park. That was the day Lily went missing. I scanned the photos, checking for any problems.  
"What the hell...?" I mutter, looking at the last one I took of myself. It seemed all right untill I saw the top right corner. _Something-_I have no idea what-was... floating? I had to squint my eyes to see it. Feet? A pair of feet, legs, held up by... tentacles? What the fuck?


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, Flash!" I call, a little-well, more than a little-unnerved.  
"Yeah?" He asks.  
"Is this normal?" I show him the weird... thing.  
"That's probably the result of some glitch in the printer. It's happened before, blobs of ink form together to make something weird. I can reprint it for you if you want?" He explains. _Doesn't look like any blobs to me..._  
"Nah," I say, "I'm sure some author or artist would buy this. Its just like a scene from a horror book 'The girl had no idea of the dangers that were following her' OOooooo!" We laughed.  
"OK, well you be safe now, ya hear?"  
"I got it, I got it. Well, see ya!" I wave as I walk out of the store. _Just a glitch. Yeah, just a glitch with the printer. Monsters aren't real._ I tell myself.

I trot along the dirt path in Sweet Apple Acres, eager to get a bite of the juicy fruit. I see a few trees shaking and I know it's one of the apple family hard at work. I get off of the path to where I saw one of them.  
"Hi Applejack! How's life?" I say when I see the orange mare.  
"Howdy Sapphire! Everythin is fine, except for Winona. Today she stayed in the house and yelped like a puppy! She's too scared to go outside! She's never been scared before. Probably some bad dream she had. Anyway, what about you?" She says.  
"Well, we're getting back on our feet at home-or at least I am anyway." I say, thinking of mom.  
"I'm really sorry 'bout Lily. If I lost Applebloom... shucks, I don't even wanna imagine. Anyways, What can I get for ya?" She asks in her southern accent.  
"I need some apples. How much for 15?" I say.  
"That'll be eight bits." I toss her the small metal coins.  
"Great! I"ll just go get some of the clean, fresh ones." She leaves through the trees. I look around anxiously, waiting for the pony to come back when I see a dark shape through the rows of apple trees.  
"Wha..." I mutter. I shield my eyes I see what it is. A thing standing on two legs not four. Kind of like from the picture but no tenticals. I angrily stomp over, realizing it was probably just some prankster.  
"Hey you! Get the hell away from here! Asshole!" I scream, "I'm gonna whoop your-" suddenly I can see it better. It wore a buisness suit, complete with tie and polished shoes. It just _stares..._ but it can't stare. It doesnt have fucking _eyes!_ A tentacle lashes out from it's back, cutting a tree to the left of me. I have no time to think. There's only one thought in my head. _RUN. RUN. RUN._


	3. Chapter 3

I yank open the door to my home and slam it shut. _Thump thump thump thump thump._ My heart races. Trembling legs barely hold me, threatening to give way and drop me like a rock. Ragged gasps escape my throat as I try to catch my breath. Wheezing, I go through the house, locking all the doors and windows. _What. The. Fuck._ That was a monster. A _monster!_ Did it follow me? What was it? What about Applejack? Tons of questions flew through my mind, and no answers were to be found.  
"Mom!" I call, for once thankful that she had stayed in the house. I do not want to be alone.  
"Mom?" I check her room, but the sheets are open. Mom isn't there, a note on the bed is left where she had been.

_Sapphire, i'm sorry for being so un-supportive for the past couple weeks. It's just, well, you know. Lily was so young... anyways I went to visit and talk to Twilight.  
With love, from Mom._

"NO! FUCK SHIT DAMMIT NO!" I scream angrily, punching the wall. Just my fucking luck. Mom is gone and some psycho monster thing is trying to kill me. I resist the urge to say what could possibly go wrong. I head into my room and flop onto my bed, sobbing into my pillow. _Why me?_ is all I can think. Why does _my_ sister have to go missing. Why was that...thing stalking _me?_ Why is _my_life becoming a train wreck, and fast? Soon the flood of tears become a trickle, and a trickle becomes gasps and sobs. I turn over the pillow and lay my head on the dry side, no more tears to cry. I close my eyes and wish. Wish for everything to be back to how it was... when I was happy...

_I run through the woods as fast as I can, not looking back. Rows upon rows of trees with old leaves and twisted branches obstruct my path. Everything is silent, not a single chirp from a single bird is heard. Suddenly I trip on some unseen bump, and land face down in the dirt. I quickly get up, struggling to continue. I look behind myself to check if it was near when a tentacle lashes out and wraps around my throat, lifting me into the air. The faceless creature watches without eyes as I struggle with the rope-like appendage around my neck. My vision blurs. I'm out._

I sit up in the bed, my entire body covered in a cold sweat. I start to cry again. A nightmare. It was just a nightmare-actually, no it wasn't. It was the worst nightmare I had _ever_ had. I turn on the light in my room. The clock on the wall says it's _2:30_. There's no way in hell that I am going back to sleep. I go downstairs quietly, yet I turn on most of the lights in the house. Nothing will hide in the shadows from me. I turn on the coffee maker and wait for it to be ready. Soon, its done and im drinking the caffeinated beverage. I take the pot back upstairs with me. In my room I close the door and drink some more. _Don't sleep. Don't sleep. Don't sleep._


	4. Chapter 4

Sunlight is shinning down from my window. The clock reads _6:30_ "Sapphire?" my mom asks, opening the door. Apparently she had come home while I was sleeping. She sees me trembling-from the caffeine or fear I do not know. She gasps. I'm a mess. Dark circles are around my eyes, my mane is frizzled and unkept. I'm shaking, the empty coffee jar is in my hoof.  
"Oh my gosh sweetie what happened?" she says, rushing to me.  
"N-N-N-Nightmar-re." I stutter.  
"How much coffee did you drink?"  
"Th-three-n-no, f-four j-jars." I spit out.  
She gasps, before saying softly, "Get some rest, dear."  
"I-I c-c-can't."  
"Why not?" She asks.  
"I-It'll get m-me."  
"What will?"  
"The m-monster." She sighs, taking the jar. Then she hugs me, stroking my braided red mane.  
"There is no monster dear, it was just a nightmare."  
"Y-Yes th-there was. I-It was a-at Applej-jack's." She gently pushes me onto the bed and grabs a chair that was front of a desk.  
"Nothing will get you. I'll sit here and watch, and if anything is wrong i'll wake you."  
"R-Really?"  
"Yes. Now sleep Sapphire. You need to sleep." She kisses me on the forehead and I almost immediately drift off.

I slowly open my eyes and yawn. No dream. The shades were closed, the room was dark. Mom wasn't there. The clock read _12:00._ The past night had been a blur ever since that dream. I vaguely remember drinking tons of coffee and crying. I slowly get out of the bed and open the door. I walk down the stairs to get food. A note is on the fridge.

Dear Sapphire, i'm worried about you. I decided to go talk to Twilight and see if we could fix something up, after all she has a degree in psychology. She can help you get over this "monster" thing. Get yourself a good breakfast, lunch, or brunch, whatever time you wake up, with the bits on the counter.  
With love, from mom.

I groan. Had I been hallucinating? Maybe it's the stress of losing Lily going up to my head. I grab the bits and start outside. As I walk through town I burst out coughing. The floor seems to spin. _What the hell? I'm not sick..._ Nopony else is around and it stops just as quick as it starts. _Weird..._

After I finish eating I get a letter from a cross eyed mail mare saying I need to go to Twilight's house. With nothing else to do I walk over to the library. Suddenly the coughing and the dizziness occur again and I almost trip to the ground. _Seriously, what the hell?_ Well it stops and I eventually reach the large tree.  
"Hello? Anypony home?" I knock on the door. A baby dragon opens it. "Hi Spike. Is Twilight here?" I ask.  
"Nah, she left with your mom to your house. I think she's coming back soon. You can come in if you want." He offers. I nod and walk in. After surveying all the bookshelves aligned with many classics, I notice a book entitled:

Monsters and Other Strange Myths

Intrigued, I pick it up and look at the back. It's all about legends ranging from something called the Rake to aliens. When I check the table of contents, one thing sticks out in particular. _The Slenderman. Also known as Tall Man._ I flip through the book and find where the page is. I start to read.

_The slenderman. Some say he looks different to everyone who looks at him_

A thing he likes to do, is stand there and watch. He may not have eyes, but he'll watch you anyway...

He usually goes after children, tricks them into following him, or sometimes just flat out abducting them from their homes, nothing is for certain, just that they disappear.

He sometimes likes to watch adults too though. He'll watch them from afar, watch you from afar. You will see him more, and more. Your memory will begin to get foggy, details and things you'll forget.

One thing is also for certain, he does not like his picture taken, or maybe he does...its not for certain really. But if you have a picture of him, he'll follow you, and watch you. Its probably because you know for a fact he's real. Most people refuse to see him, its only when you have proof that he's there does he stick out in your mind.

There is also the slender sickness. If he's nearby you may experience a cough and dizziness, maybe even vomiting.

He tends too watch those who know of his existence, follow those who study up on him. Those people usually go mad. 

There is also a picture. A picture of the 'Slenderman'. It looks just like what I saw yesterday. I drop the book. My vission blurs and I faint, dropping to the ground like a rock. _IT'S REAL._

**Thanks for the support everyone! I'm going on vacation tomorrow so there won't be another one of these for about a week. Comments are greatly appreciated and thanks to Who149 for the book part!**


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